There has much talk about the alleged dangers of 5G lately, with some conspiracy theorists even blaming 5G for the spread of the coronavirus. The fear that high-frequency radio airwaves may be damaging to our health is nothing new: this has been a concern since mobile phones first became common. There have been specific fears expressed, however, that the new 5G technology presents new risks.
So when you find a great deal on a brand new phone on Affordable Mobiles, do you need to worry about whether that 5G will be bad for your health? Let’s push through the conspiracy theories and look at the evidence of what 5G does to our health.
What is 5G?
5G is the next generation of mobile phone network, which uses super high-frequency radio airwaves. This promises to deliver faster speeds, especially when it comes to mobile internet, allowing users to access the internet at lightning-fast speeds through their mobile phone. Furthermore, this has the potential to support cutting-edge technologies such as VR, AR, and self-driving cars.
5G operates at a very high frequency, known as millimetre wavelengths.
Mobile carriers around the world are rolling out 5G technology and mobile phone companies are already releasing phones that are 5G-enabled. You will find that most of the latest mobile phone models are able to support 5G.
General Concerns about Mobile Phones
Mobile phones generate a certain degree of radiation, because they work by transmitting radio waves. These radio waves allow signals to be transmitted, and are how we are able to have conversations with people on the other side of the country or even the world, and receive text messages and other information without our mobile phone being physically wired in to anything. Mobile phones are not the only item in our house that does this: microwaves and WiFi, for example, also generate radio waves of different kinds.
There is some reason to be worried about radiation , and in particular when they are being generated by a device that we use all the time and carry around in our pocket. Radiation in certain forms, particularly nuclear radiation, is extremely dangerous. It can cause cancer in the long term, and can make you seriously ill or even be fatal in high doses.
However, other forms of radiation are completely harmless. Radiation is simply the energy that is sent out from any source. The heat that is emitted by your body, for example, is a form of radiation.
Do Mobile Phones Cause Cancer?
In order to understand whether mobile phones cause cancer, it is important to distinguish between non-ionizing and ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation can disrupt atoms and molecules, meaning that it can attack the DNA in cells, resulting in mutations, which can cause cancer and other health problems. Examples of ionizing radiation include UV (ultraviolet) rays, x-rays and gamma rays, all of which have been conclusively linked to cancer.
Non-ionizing radiation, on the other hand, does not have the same kind of energy that can damage cells. Mobile phone network signals are a form of non-ionizing radiation, as are Wi-Fi networks, walkie-talkies, airport security scanners and automatic garage doors, albeit at lower frequencies.
According to the American Cancer Society, there is no evidence that the radiation used by cell phone networks causes cancer. This is supported by the World Health Organisation that officially states that “to date, no adverse health effects from low level, long term exposure to radiofrequency or power frequency fields have been confirmed.” They do note, however, that research continues to be carried out in this area.
Evidence about 5G Signals
Some activists have expressed concerns that this new frequency of radio waves could be dangerous to public health. Specifically, they argue that the technology is so new that there has not been sufficient research and further studies should be done to be certain before the technology is widely rolled out. Additionally, because 5G uses much smaller wavelengths, the towers need to be closer together in order to transmit the signals. This means that there will be 5G towers much greater density and more people will be living closer to them, raising concerns about cell tower radiation.
Generally speaking, radiation with lower frequency wave lengths are less powerful, whereas radiation at a higher frequency is more powerful. 5G, that operates at a very high frequency, has therefore made some people nervous. The fact remains that there is no evidence that 5G causes cancer or any other health problems. However, as a new technology, there has not been a great deal of research in this area and indeed there has simply not been enough time to know the long term effects. All we can do is judge based on research on mobile phone signals in general, which has found no causal links, and continue to monitor new research as it emerges.
It is also important to remember the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation: as mentioned above, cell phone signals are a form of non-ionizing radiation which is much less dangerous than ionizing radiation. Nevertheless, this new form of radiation and the fact that it relies on a much greater density of towers means that it certainly warrants more investigation and close monitoring by the relevant authorities.
On the other hand, the theory regarding 5G and coronavirus has no scientific evidence and has been widely discredited.